Finland
The Republic of Finland is a country in northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden on the west, Norway on the north and Russia on the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland. The capital city is Helsinki. Finland was historically a part of Sweden and from 1809 an autonomous Grand Duchy within the Russian Empire. Finland's declaration of independence from Russia in 1917 was followed by a civil war. During World War II, Finland fought two wars against the Soviet Union, and, as a consequence, Finland became a co-belligerent with Nazi Germany for a time. In 1944, Finland made peace with the USSR and fought Germany. Finland joined the United Nations in 1955, the OECD in 1969, and the European Union in 1995. Finland in Curious Notions Finland was a puppet kingdom created by Germany after Germany won the brief war of 1914.Curious Notions, pg. 19. Finland in In the Presence of Mine Enemies Finland was one of the independent allies of the Greater German Reich. In 2011, the government of Finland decried the SS led putsch against reformer Führer Heinz Buckliger. Finland in Southern Victory Finland was a province of the Russian Empire until the Second Great War. It was a restive province as Finnish nationalists fought a resistance movement against the Russians. The Finns were supported by Germany in this effort, and the members of the Central Powers promised to grant diplomatic recognition to an independent Finland in 1943. Finland in The Two Georges Finland was under the rule of the Russian Empire in 1996.The Two Georges map. Finland is not important to the plot of the novel. In OTL Russia gained Finland, previously ruled by Sweden, in the aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars which did not happen in this timeline. Evidently, however, the Russians did gain it also in this timeline, under ciurcumstances not specified in the book. Finland in The War That Came Early Finland remained neutral when war broke out in 1938. Germany successfully occupied Denmark in mid-1939, and then moved into Norway. Although Britain and France had moved forces into Norway to help stall the German advance, in December, 1939, Soviet leader Joseph Stalin announced that he had no faith that the Allies could keep Norway from falling. Only a thin slice of Finland would separate Germany-occupied territory from the Soviet Union. Stalin also announced that he did not think Finland, with "reactionary" Marshal Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim as its de facto leader would remain neutral. This suggested that Stalin was considering an invasion of Finland before the Germans did.West and East, pg. 423, from Sergei Yaroslavsky's POV. Finland in Worldwar The Soviet Union invaded Finland, a Russian province before the Russian Revolution, in 1939. Finland resisted Soviet conquest, but took heavy losses and was forced to make unfair concessions. In 1941, when Germany invaded the Soviet Union in World War II, Finland aligned itself with the Axis and invaded formerly Finnish Soviet territories. It suspended this invasion when the Race's Conquest Fleet invaded Earth in 1942. Politically, Finland was something was a point of friction between Germany and the Soviet Union throughout much of the fighting against the Race.See, generally, In the Balance. In the frigid polar regions and under German protection, Finland was allowed to remain independent under the terms of the Peace of Cairo.Second Contact, pg. 117. Finland was a political ally of Germany. Unlike other German allies, Finland jealously and successfully guarded its sovereignty. It refused to participate in the Race-German War of 1965, for example, but the war left Finland without a powerful ally. When the Soviet Union issued an ultimatum that essentially demanded it be allowed to replace Germany as Finland's "protector", the Finnish government responded by inviting the Race to establish a permanent military base within Finnish territory, while Finland itself maintained its political autonomy. Upon learning this from personally from Finnish Ambassador Urho Kekkonen, Vyacheslav Molotov withdrew the ultimatum.Aftershocks, pg. 143-145. Notes Category:Countries Category:In the Presence of Mine Enemies Category:Southern Victory Category:Worldwar Category:Central Powers Members (Alternate Timeline) Category:Axis Members (OTL) Category:Axis Members (Alternate Timeline) Category:Russian Empire (OTL) Category:Russian Empire (Alternate Timeline) Category:Curious Notions Category:German Empire (Alternate Timeline) Category:The Two Georges Category:The War That Came Early